Well, it looks like spring has sprung in a big way. Lots of exciting storms, kid activities, and plenty of yard work to be done. For me, it typically means less time for woodworking but I try to squeeze some in where I can. Sometimes it is the little things that can be most gratifying in woodworking. This past weekend I recalled a broken bird feeder that my parents had. Off to one of the many wood piles around my house, this one being leftover Western Red Cedar from when I built our deck a few years back, and about 30 minutes later I had a replacement part for them that they really appreciated.
If you have been at the last couple of meetings, you have heard and seen a number of changes to the library collection. A number of older unused items have been culled, and Jerry Tackes has taken care of purchasing new books and dvds that have recently been published. Thanks Jerry, and I look forward to viewing the new acquisitions.
One last note for this month. In the recent directory, my email address was incorrectly listed as jcj_kyj@mehsi.com. The correct address is jcj_kyj@mchsi.com as published elsewhere in this Ripsaw.
Happy woodworking!
Date: Wednesday, May 3, 2006
Event: Regular Guild Meeting
Topic: Which Wood for What Purpose?
Presenter: Jim Wesp of Kettle Moraine Hardwoods, Inc. Jim@KMHardwoods.com
Location: Faith United Church of Christ
Time: 6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Fee: None. First time guests are welcome.
Comments:
Kettle Moraine Hardwoods is a long-standing “Friend of the Guild”. Jim and his brother Bob now run the company started by their father several years ago. Jim will introduce his company and then discuss the changes he has observed in the last several years as to the popularity, pricing, and availability of various local hardwoods woods. This will lead to a discussion of the criteria for choosing the appropriate woods for varying projects.
Date: Wednesday, June 7, 2006
Event: Regular Guild Meeting
Topic: Clock Making – How to Select, Mound, and Maintain Mechanical
Movements
Presenter: John Cooper, Product Development Manager , Klockit, Lake Geneva, WI
Location: Faith United Church of Christ
Time: 6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Fee: None. First time guests are welcome.
Comments :
Klockit has been supplying a wide variety of parts and products for clock makers for over 30 years. You may have seen their catalog. John will bring a mock up of the case for a typical “Grandfather’s” clock. He will then describe the differing mechanical movements that can be placed in such a case (the movements with weights and springs, not the battery and quartz); the differing methods for mounting the movements; and the concerns for proper long-term maintenance of a fine mechanical movement. Each attendee will receive a complete handout. Klockit will also provide discount cards for each attendee. We will survey the membership at the end of the presentation to determine interest, content, and venue for a possible follow-on hands-on workshop concerning some aspect of clock-making.
Date: Wednesday, July 5, 2006
Event: Regular Guild Meeting
Topic: Show and Tell
Presenter: Guild Members
Location: Faith United Church of Christ,
Fellowship Hall
78th & Hope, Milwaukee
Time: 6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Fee: None. First time guests are welcome.
Comments:We will invite as many of our members as possible to share something during this meeting – a technique, a special tool, or a completed project. A sign-up roster will be available at the June meeting. Presentations may be a few minutes up to as much as ten minutes each.
The current membership is 139 and the Treasury Balance is $13,776.37. The Wisconsin Raffle License has not arrived for 2006. The check has been cashed and the board agreed to continue the raffle without the license in hand. Jerry Tackes reviewed the license requirements and stated that there were no restrictions on holding a raffle at the next woodworking show. Jim Fenske is to contact show personnel and determine details regarding their offer to allow a raffle at the next show.
Elizabeth Rohde has contacted Meyers Restaurant and has booked the Holiday party for Wednesday Dec 6, 2006.
Guild meeting programs have been established through the year by Walt Hadcock with details presented to John Johnson by e-mail. Jerry Tackes offered his shop as a workshop location for the Stained Glass Workshop in October.
Due to a date conflict by President John Johnson for the May 11 board meeting, Elizabeth Rohde is to contact the church to see if the facility is available on Tues May 10.
Jim Fenske will represent the Guild at Rocklers Guild Day on April 22 and hand out trifolds. Jerry Tackes has purchased $1150.04 worth of books to date. Two books are yet to be delivered, and the board approved the purchase of another five Guild member requested books. Rockler has also donated three books to the library.
We had a presentation at the last meeting from Ken Brengel of Spectrum Interiors, Inc. about matching colors when staining an item. Ken is the owner and he has 12 employees. They primarily do commercial work on cabinets that are finished in their shop before being taken and installed on the clients’ site. They also do some small jobs for individuals when asked. Ken said he looks at wood projects differently than most of the people in the woodworkers guild do. He said he looks at the finish on an item, where we might look at the construction.
They use stains, colorants and dyes in their work. For the most part they use finishes that are commercially available to most of us. They use Zar, Minwax and JC Licht company products. Ken said aniline dyes can do anything you want when used with stains. Dyes are water soluble or alcohol soluble. He said when you use dyes with stain you can change the color dramatically. Stains typically have particles in suspension that give the wood its color. Better quality stains have finer particle sizes. Mixing stains before you use them puts the particles back in suspension. Ken said the particle sludge at the bottom of the stain can is essentially the same thing as glaze.
Ken said that they look at the wood to see what color it is and where there might be a problem with it. When mixed together, opposite colors will make brown, a very natural color. A “color wheel” is a handy reference to tell you what a particular color’s opposite color is. If a wood is too red they put a green dye in it to take it to brown. If the wood is too green (green streaks in poplar, for instance) they would put red in it to take it to brown. If it is too yellow they would put purple in it to take it to brown. The only purpose for using a dye this way is to have an even consistent color when stained before the final finish is put on. When trying to match a color sometimes dyes can be added to stain. Sometimes they air brush dye on an object to “fix” a small area.
They even out the surface of the wood so stain applies evenly. This can be done several ways, including using de-waxed shellac, diluted hide glue or products marketed specifically for this purpose. They also sand to break the edges of molded shapes so the stains take and do not pull away from the edge. To do this they sand by hand with 150 grit sanding blocks. The 3M sanding blocks with sponges in them work the best for them. Water will also open up the grain of a piece and make the stain go on evenly. They wet it with a sponge, and then add stain with a sponge. This allows the stain to go on evenly and makes it easy to wipe off the excess. After the stain is applied, they seal the surface so they can apply a glaze.
Glazes are slow drying and can be moved around. They change the item and make it look older. They also give more depth to the piece by darkening the inside corners of a profile. Ken showed us pieces that had glaze applied and the difference was visible. They do apply a final finish over the top of the glaze. Ken said orange shellac over a stain gives a warm look to the finished piece. The minimum temperature for putting on finishes is 64 degrees.
Color can be added from many sources such as artist colors, or universal colorants such as are used in paints at the home center or hardware store. Universal tints can be purchased by the pint at JC Licht. If you only need a little bit, most paint companies will sell you a small amount dispensed from their tinting machine. Dyes are the consistency of Koolaid. They are concentrated color and need to be thinned. The color does not settle out of them. They have no pigment. He said pigment closes up the grain. Stains are predetermined to look a certain way on certain woods. You buy them in a can. You can tint them with universal tints to try changing them.
The finishing sequence he recommends are to condition the wood (40% warmish and 60% mineral spirits) by wiping on and wiping off immediately. Then stain without drying. If there is too much stain they use a brush to remove it, and dry brush to get stain out of corners and edges. Add size that seals the walls with a sponge wrapped in terrycloth. Then glaze is added and finally the finish coat or coats.
We thank Ken for his helpful presentation to the Guild.
Congratulations to Jerry Smaglik, the winner of the April raffle.
The May raffle is a 6” Digital Caliper donated by Rockler Woodworking and
Hardware. This handy hand tool will make measuring inside, outside and depth
measuring a snap.
A special Thank You to Rockler Woodworking and Hardware for donating the following books to the library:
Taunton’s Complete Illustrated Guide to Sharpening by Thomas Lie-Nielsen;
Taunton’s Complete Illustrated Guide to Finishing by Jeff Jewitt and
Taunton’s Complete Illustrated Guide to Working with Wood by Andy Rae
Each book is valued at $39.95.